The Bonds That Tie
by Blaze Meikyokan
Summary: Vegeta, standing on the ridge after Goku teleported the exploding Cell away, comes to realization.


The Bonds That Tie  
  
"Goodbye everyone." Gokou had a peculiar little grin on his face, typical for his carefree attitude. At such a time as this though, with Cell preparing to destroy the entire planet, it seemed out of place indeed. The reactions were all the same. A surprised "What?!" blended with a look of profound confusion.  
  
Vegeta's reaction was no different. What was Kakarotto doing now? In this situation where the Saiyajin prince could but stand on the sidelines helpless, and even Kakarotto's son was helpless to prevent Cell from his goal, despite his power; in that situation, Kakarotto was smiling.  
  
He had abandoned hope at that moment, until those two words. He didn't have any time for thought, however. Kakarotto had sprung into action. Disappearing using his teleportation technique, his rival had gone to the forefront, standing between Cell and Gohan. "You've done well Gohan...tell your mother that I'm sorry for being so selfish and giving her a hard time." He smiled happily, without the slightest twinge of sadness in his eyes. He was proud of his son. "Goodbye, Gohan."  
  
"Father!"  
  
And then they were out of sight. Vegeta wasn't as adept at sensing ki signatures as the rest of the crowd gathered, and so he had no idea where they had gone. He allowed his power to leave him, his hair returning to its more settled state and his muscles easing. He stood passively, with the same half angry/ half apathetic look that he always had. What was Kakarotto up to?  
  
And then it happened.   
  
He couldn't quite sense it as well as the others, but he knew it when it happened. At the ver instant of Kakarotto's death, he felt a snapping within the very core of his being. The stunned gasps behind him, the gritting teeth of those that called him friend, let him know that he wasn't mistaken. He had felt it.  
  
"FATHER!!!"   
  
Gohan's shout rocked the now silent battlefield as surely as any of the ki explosions had. Vegeta looked at him almost without seeing him.   
  
Kakarotto was gone.  
  
In the flash of a moment, he remembered all the previous times their paths had crossed. Upon his first arrival on Earth, those many years ago, with his then comrad Nappa: Kakarotto had bested him. It had been much closer then, and he still believed that he would have emerged victorious were it not for the meddling of his insufferable friends. That wasn't how it had happened though, and so their roads went on to cross again.  
  
At Namek-sei, facing the tyrant that had haunted his nightmares for his entire life, Frieza, Vegeta had been at a loss. Forced to cooperate with Kakarotto's allies was only a means to an end. He had never sided with his most hated nemesis. When Kakarotto finally arrived, he couldn't believe it. The difference in his power was incredible. This was the same man he had dueled with on Earth? Hardly the end of it, Frieza had actually killed him at that time...and faced with death Vegeta could only place his hope in Kakarotto as a tool for vengeance. He had been delivered back from the very pits of the abyss, however, to find that Kakarotto had done the unthinkable.  
  
He was a Super Saiyajin.  
  
That of itself had been enough to drive him wild for time uncountable. He trained and purposely put himself through such great strife and suffering so he could attain the vaunted position. It was his birth-right! It was his destiny! Then finally...  
  
Back on Earth, a ridiculous pair of androids had appeared as enemy to Kakarotto. Seemingly on the verge of defeat, he had pulled him from the jaws of possible death. There was only one death suitable for Kakarotto, and that was by his hands and his alone! Perhaps this had been his greatest triumph over Kakarotto; the satisfaction that it brought him to do something that Kakarotto could not...however even that was short lived. A heart virus had plagued his nemesis, and he was not at his best. Vegeta could hardly claim victory in such a circumstance.   
  
His pride would not allow it.  
  
When Kakarotto was healed, and the next androids came...he was met with yet another crushing defeat. He could not defeat these androids; those it was some solace that nobody else could either. When Cell first came...  
  
"Is that all you've got?" Vegeta smirked mockingly, glaring down at the bug-like creature before him.  
  
He had been the first to get to Cell, and could have easily defeated him, whereas Kakarotto could not. That wasn't enough for him though...and he almost cursed himself for his arrogance. Cell had taken them all. Worlds stronger than Frieza could ever have hoped to become, Cell was indeed the greatest threat that Vegeta had ever encountered. His blood boiled, but his soul was cracked by the realization that he wasn't good enough. He would never be able to defeat Cell. Kakarotto had failed also, bringing him at least that measure of gratification. Kakarotto was still not so much better than he as all that. Cell would be gone in time, and then...they would settle their score.  
  
But now, Kakarotto was gone.  
  
The word "friend" hung sourly in Vegeta's mind, echoing back at him as if from miles away. The haunting effect it had chilled him to the very soul, stealing his pride for a single moment in time. Kakarotto was his greatest, and only friend. 


End file.
